Gas heating system.



B. A. SCHRODER.

GAS HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEc26. 1914.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

lu/vanto@ BERNARD A. CHRODER l BERNARD A. SCHBODER, OF' BIRMINGHAM,ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR T0 AUTOMATIC GAS RADIATOR COMPANY, A CORPORATIONALABAMA.

I. GAS' 'HEATING SYSTEM.

- To all whom t may cncer/n:

.a speci Be 4it known that I, BERNARD A. Sonno- -DER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing diators of the type heretofore used with steamand hot water radiation systems without requiring any substantial.-change in their designv or arrangement.

A further and most important object .of my invention is to safe guardagainst the possible opening of the gas valve of'any type of gas burningradiation system when the fan for exhausting the gases from theradiators is not in service and this control I effect by a Anovel andsimple means of making the operation! of the radiator gas valvesresponsive. to the operation of the" prime mover which drives theexhaust an.

I claim'this feature broadly. By this arv rangement when the prime moverstops and the exhaust fan is out of, service, it is not 'possible forany valve of the radiation system to be opened by the Vautomatic controldevices and I preferably so protect the valves from casual manualoperation that they cannot be opened under such conditions. 'As 4apreferred means for controlling the valves, 1 utilize a motor generatorset, the motor beingadapted to drive the exhaust fan and a smallgenerator which supplies .current for operating the valves.

AA further important feature of my.- invention is the means-by whichitis adapted for automatic operation under the control of an'adjustablecircuit closing thermostat of standard design which may be set for andesired degree of room temperature which it is desired vto maintain andwhich will act inthe well known manner to make and break theelectriccircuits, which control the radiator gas valves, and. cut vtheradiators into and out of service as the temperature .risessubstantially 'above or falls substantially below that for which theinstrumentis set. I provide a magneticallyoperated gas -valve for eachradiator and wire all so Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 26, 1914. Serial No. 879,109.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

vopen the valves when'their respective thermostats close their controlcircuits and when such circuits are opened by the thermostats thevalves, are released and close automatically. By this means a radiatoris caused to burn only a small part of the time toma-intain the roomtemperature, thereby insuring the economical operation of my system.

A further object of my invention is to insure the uniform heating of theseveral radiator sections by the utilization of aperforated draftpipe.or similar means which preferably extends through the severalradiator sections and is designed and adapted to produce' in each of theseveral sections a substantially. uniform. draft to insure the equaliadiatingefiicicncy throughout the radiator.

A further object of my invention is to utilize an elongated gas burnerwhich is inserted through the bottom alining openings of the radiatorsections and which is supplied with air through a series of air portsprovided in the radiator sections to cause a substantially uniformfla-me in each section.

A further object of my invention is to reduce to its simplest and mostcompact form the control mechanism for the gas and to mount all partswithin an inclosing casing which is small,attractive in appearance, andreadily attached to theradiator, thereby, making simple and inexpensivethe installation of my gas burner equipment.

A further object of my invention is the complete in'closure of themagnetically controlled gas valve -within a,gas tight casing so that itis protected perfectly from being tamperedwith and leakage avoided.

A further novel feature of my invention is the provision of a baillestrip to be in.

serted into the bottom `of the radiator-secf tions and Ato be disposedbetween the burner tube and the air inlet ports so as to deflect theentering air and 'cause a better and more, 100

only are hereinafter more particularly de- 105.

scribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a .partof this specifi Figure 1 is a view illustrating :the piping iconnections and motor generator set in side 110 y elevation; and oneradiator partly in section on the linew-w of Fig. 2and partly inelevation.

Fig. 2 is a' vertical sectional view taken along the line i/-y/ of Fig.1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar partsthroughout thedrawings.

I have shown my invention in'connection with a radiator formed vby aseries of sections 1 but it will be understood .that other forms ofradiators may be substituted. Theseradiator sections arefsiibstantiallyof standard form except that to reduce the cost kI dispense with nipplesbetween sections and merely face off the bosses 2 so as to make a tight`Joint when the sections are drawn together in the manner hereinafterdescribed.

In each radiator section and preferably at the bottom thereofI providean lair inlet opening 3. The 'radiator sections are tied together attheir -upper ends by a perforated The draft pipehasa series of port-s 7there.

ally as they approach thev outlet end of thel v draft pipe 4 having itsends threaded and one screwed into a threaded opening in a blu 5 and theother screwed through' a' l b C9' p1ugv6. whichplugs Iit snugly into andeffectively close the radiator end openings.

in which preferablydecrease iii size gradupi pe, to give a uniform draftto each 'radiator section. The exposed end of pipe 4 is connected by anelbow with the exhaust pipe 8 connecting with a-main-exliaust pipe 9 ofthe radiator system, which in' turn is connected to the blower 10. 'I heradiator sections are tied together at their lower'ends 4by the burner.pipe 11 which is screwed at one -end into a plug 5 while its other endis screwed' into the reduced'end 12 of the gas control casing 14.`Square shoulders 13 fare provided on the plugs 5 a-nd 6to receive.

a wrench.' Albaiiie plate 1,5 is inserted through the end openings ofthe radiator j 'sections and extends longitudinally under the burner andoverthe air inlet holes 3, 'serving to baiile and distribute the air tothe burner 11so as to obtain a substantiallyv uniform combustion in theSeveral radiator sections.

The control casing-14 is shown producedin as simple vand compact form aspossible and one which -is especially designed to prevent l.theapparatus being tampered with. The casing is preferably formed-as aniii. tegral `angled *ca stingl having a chamber 16 in its upper endlbelow which isga diaphragm.

17 provided. with a ycentral opening through 'which the inner angledand, threaded end vof a small pipe 18 is passed. A nut 19 on the pipeengages-the under faceof the diaphragin and a, nut 20, having a tapervalve seat. in tlie top of'its bore, engages the end of pipe 18 abovethe'diaphragm and servesv to holdl the pipe in positionwith the Spud 21'thereonI disposed, just beyond the air intake opening 22. Au adjustablesleeve 23 is slidable over the .opening 22 to regulate" therein a valvecasing 27 and a valve 28A which controls the gas supply to the pilotburner 29 Whichpasses through a suitable opening provided therefor inthe end radiator section. This section is also provided with an opening30vfor`g'iving accessto the pilot to light it. I screw orotherwise'ii'iake tight and fast in the top of the chamber 16 a metalcap 31 having integraltherewitli or 'otherwise suitably connectedthereto a core 32 of a magnet 33. The wires for this magnet. areconnected toA the terminals 34 and 35 mounted in insulationplugs 34a and35n seated tight in .openings in the cap. These terniinalsare connectedrespectively tothe leads 36 andf37 of a. branch circuit connectedinmultiple to the wires 38 and 39' of the main contro] circuit for thewhole system. i Y

.Current is supplied to the main .cont-rol circuit by a .small generator40 which is part of a small and compact motor gi'an'eiaf tor Isetcon'iprising a .motor 41 Aconnecteolo'n one-side. to the blower 10 andon the other side to the generator 40, all parts being mounted upon asuitablebed plate 42. The

curi-ent is supplied to drivethe motor- 41by n l the service wires 43and A44 vunder control o f a main house switch 45.

YIn each branch control circuit formed bythe leads 86 and 37 for aradiator or 'a group of radiators, I provide an adjustable' make .andbreak thermostat 46 of standard f design and which therefore Iwill notde nio" scribe in det-ail votherwise.than testate that its pointer arm47 is adjustable, relative to the dial 48 which is marked for4 thedierent i .degrees of temperature whichv it may be de-v siredto maintainin the room and when the' pointer .is 4'set for any given degreie' thethermostat will make and breakjthe circuit A connectionsacross itsyterminals 49 and 50 as the vteniiperature 'approaches and departs l`from that designated degree. Of'course the thermostat may permitof`a-substantia1"de partiire from .the given degree before acting onvthe circuit. The .wire '36 'is interrupted and its ends connected tothese terminals '49 .and '50 with the result that whenthe circuit isclosed by the thermostat the mgnetuS A will be energized and its core 32will raise the cone valve 24. and allow gasto flow .through pipe 18tothe mixing` chamber in the end ofthe casing 14 and thence int-o theiisf viously ignited, is maintained constantly.

burning while the heater is under automatic control, and it will ignitethe gas as soon as it flows from the perforations in the burner 11. Theproducts of combustion will pass up through the several radiatorsections, being drawn in substantially equal volume therethrough and outthrough the pipe 4 and the exhaust pipe connections 8 and 9 to theblower 10 which discharges it through a pipe or stack 51 to theatmosphere. A Water sealed drain pipe 52 having a U-bend is provided atthe bottom of the exhaust pipe 9 to take care of the water ofcondensation therein. A

It being understood that one or more radiators may be controlled by eachbranch control circuit 36, 37, that there may be as many of such branchcircuits as the house or building to be heated may require, and that thepipes 9,and 25 are connected to each radiator, the operation of mysystem may be brieiy described as follows: By closing the switch 45,service current is supplied to the motor 41 which thereupon drives theblower and the generator. The blower serves through its connections8`and 9 to exhaust the gas and products of combustion from the radiatorsand the small generator 40 delivers current through the main controlcircuit to the several. branch circuits 36, 3 7 under control of theirtherniostatic regulators 46.

Assuming a regulator to be set for 7 0 and the temperature of the roomto be the regulatorwill immediately close the circuit to the magnet 33,and, if the blower and generator are operating, the magnet will 'openthe valve 24: and the radiator will start into service, the burner beingignited by its constantly burning pilot. As the temperature in the roomrises the thermostatic regulator responds and when thetemperaturereaches it automatically breaks the branch control circuit,whereupon the magnet 33 is denergized and the valve 24 drops by gravityshutting ofi' the gas supply to the radiator and the latter remains outof service until the temperature in the room falls to a predeterminedextent, whereu on the regulator-will again automatically c ose thebranch circuit and the operation will be repeated. In this manner, myheating system will automatically maintain any desired temperature inany room of the house and by cutting Ithe radiator out of service whenthe room has been brought to the desired temperature, I obtain a verygreat economy in the consumption of gas, for by actual tests I havefound that the gas under ordinary Vweather conditions burns only a smallfraction of the time. My system requires but a small blower sufficienttoinsure the exhaust of the gas and products 'of combustion fromradiators connected thereto, no other duty and when the blower is on noexplosion can result.

A perforated cover plate 53 may be provided for the opening 30 throughwhich the pilot burner. 29 is ignited.v I attach this plate by screws tothe radiator so that it can be removed, but -it generally remains inplace as the pilot burner is intended to burn while the radiation systemis in service.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In-a gas burning radiation system, a gas Iheated radiator, a gascontrol valve therefor, suction means to exhaust gases from theradiator, electric valve operating means for -the gas valve, and acommon source of power for actuating said suction mea-ns and energizingthe valve operating means.

2. In al gas burning radiation system, a gas heated radiator, anelectrically controlled gas supply Valve for said radiator, a fan andsuction connections therefrom to the radiator, and a motor generator-set which drives the fan and supplies current to operate said valve.

3. In a heating system comprising a plurality of independent gas burningradiators, each having a' gas supply valve, electric means to operatethe valves, thermostatic means which control the operation of thevalves, power driven means to exhaust gases from theradiators, and amotor generator set comprising a `generator which supplies current tosaid elect-ric means and a motor connected to said generator and tosaidpower driven'exhaust means for the system.

4. In a gas burning radiation system, in combination, a motor generatorset, a fan blower driven by said motor generator, and an electriccircuit system supplied with current by said motor generator set andadapted to control the opening of radiator gas supply valves, gasburning radiators, and -a suction pipe system connected to said fan andto the several radiators for the purpose of exhausting the gases fromthe latter.

5. In a gas burning radiation system, a gas -burning radiator, a gasvalve therefor, electric apparatus to operate said valve, a thermostaticmeansto automatically control the operation of said electric apparatus,apower drivenv suction apparatus connected' to the radiator, and a commonmotor to drive the electric and suction apparatus.

6. In a gas burning radiation system comprising radiators which aregrouped for branch circuit connects, means automatically unit control,an exhaust piping system and motor driven means coperating therewith tocarry off the products of combustion from said radiator, electric meansto control 4the supply of gas to the radiators of each unit7 said meansbeing, in a branch control circuit, a common control circuit with whicheach temperature-responsive means adapted to be set for differenttemperatures and to make Aand break the branch circuit that it controls,15

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' .BERNARD A. SCHRODER. Witnesses: v

R. D. JOHNSTON, Sr., NoMIE WELSH.

